Mets take advantage of Phillies' mistakes in 7-4 win

Hunter Martin/Getty Imagesrting pitcher Miguel Batista #47 of the New York Mets throws a pitch during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

PHILADELPHIA — Hung up in no-man’s land, caught between first and second base, Mets third baseman David Wright kept shooting glances at third base in the pivotal moment of Tuesday night’s 7-4 victory over Philadelphia.

His rookie teammate, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, represented the game-tying run in the seventh inning — and couldn’t decide where to go.

“I was peeking over at him,” Wright said, “because I wasn’t lasting too much longer.”

Nieuwenhuis stutter-stepped back and forth, lurching between the safety of the base and the tantalizing potential of home. One second passed. Then two, then three, as Nieuwenhuis searched for an opening and Wright scrounged for extra time.

These are the perils of shepherding a group of young players, manager Terry Collins said later.

“They’re playing with all their heart,” he said. “They’re playing as hard as they can. They’re going to make some mistakes. That just comes with the territory. They’re learning, still, how to play.”

On this night, these Mets learned that sometimes, the game rewards indecision.

The next batter, Lucas Duda, struck the go-ahead single, two more insurance runs scored in the ninth, and this young bunch coasted to their second consecutive series victory over the Phillies.

“What we’ve been doing the last few weeks,” Nieuwenhuis said, “it’s really exciting.”

Battered but unbowed, the Mets (17-13) weathered a rocky start from fill-in starter Miguel Batista, who earned another chance to start by giving up four runs (two unearned) over 5⅓ innings.

The defense steadied after two costly second-inning errors. Two of the more beleaguered members of the bullpen — Manny Acosta and Ramon Ramirez — logged two scoreless frames. And the offense ignited after six innings of near-dormancy.

The Phillies (14-17) could not stem the tide in front of the 43,821 fans at Citizens Bank Park. Their own flaws — a faulty bullpen, a lackluster lineup — sprouted to the surface in the final third of the game.

Starter Joe Blanton carried a one-run lead to the start the seventh, when Mets rookie Jordany Valdespin worked a walk.

With two outs, Andres Torres slapped a single. Nieuwenhuis lined an RBI hit into right. With Wright on deck, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel pulled Blanton for reliever Chad Qualls. The substitution made little difference: Wright muscled a 95-mph sinker for an opposite-field hit.

As he rounded first, though, Wright miscalculated. The ball hopped into right fielder Hunter Pence’s glove. Wright hoped to draw a throw to second, and let Nieuwenhuis break for home.

Except Nieuwenhuis had barely touched third base when Pence’s throw reached the plate.

Wright was caught. He paused for a moment, and waited for Nieuwenhuis to make the move. The dance lasted for just a few moments, before Orr uncorked the game’s most cataclysmic error.

As the throw sprayed into the outfield, a dozen Mets vaulted to their dugout’s top step. In the on-deck circle, second baseman Daniel Murphy turned his right arm into a windmill, beckoning Nieuwenhuis home.

It was up to Duda to give the Mets their first lead. He stroked a slider from left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo for a single to right, which put the Mets ahead for good.

“We might make mistakes,” Wright said, “but at least the energy is going to be there, the effort level is going to be there.”